Apparatus for projecting devices through tubes and conduits

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for storing a flexible lance whereby the lance may be projected from the apparatus and into and through a tube to be cleaned or surveyed, the apparatus comprising a storage drum with a peripheral helical groove into which a lance is placed in a plurality of wound coils for storage purposes, the lance being projected from the drum by rotating same and at the same time passing the lance through a guide member that is permitted to move axially in response to rotational movement of the drum, the lance being retained in the groove in the storage position by a plurality of axially extending rollers spaced circumferentially around the drum.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaningor otherwise working on tubes and conduits.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,120 discloses an arrangement wherein a flexible hoseis stored on a rotatable drum in a limited number of turns whereby thedrum is rotated to extend the hose through a rigid laterally disposedand substantially straight guide or housing. The hose is connected to aplurality of separate or individual lances each having a lengthapproximating the length of the rigid guide or housing such that whenthe hose is withdrawn onto the drum, the individual lances aresubstantially withdrawn into the guide or housing. The arrangementdisclosed is intended to enable a plurality of lances to be movedthrough conduits or pipes to be cleaned simultaneously. The disadvantagewith the disclosed system is that the exit point for the hose from thedrum is fixed thereby substantially limiting the length of hose thatmight be stored on the drum and as a result limiting severely thepossible length of movement of travel of each of the lances. Moreover aquite large length of head room is required in front of any bundle orarray of tubes to be cleaned to enable positioning of the equipment ifthe tubes are to be cleaned in situ as would be desired in mostcircumstances. If this required head room is unavailable in any existinginstallation, then the tubes could not be cleaned with this equipmentwithout removing same from the position in which they are installed.

Another arrangement is disclosed in Patent Cooperation TreatyApplication No. PCT/AU90/00126 which discloses apparatus for projectingdevices through tubes and conduits, said apparatus comprising a drumcaptured within a cage of axially disposed rollers and provided with aspiral groove on its outer surface, said drum being rotatable by drivemeans to extend from or retract back into said groove a cleaning lance,umbilical cable for a survey unit or the like, said drum being axiallydisplaced during rotation to maintain the point at which said lance,umbilical cable or the like exits from or re-enters said groove inalignment with a tangentially arranged guide tube.

The aforesaid arrangement has worked satisfactorily but it has beenfound desirable to make some practical modifications to the system toimprove its simplicity and portability. This arrangement involves bothaxially and rotationally moving the drum and flexible lance or umbilicalcable or the like which requires considerably larger power units todrive the system and involves the use of more power in operation.Moreover, the system, because of this complication is larger and morecomplicated than might be otherwise needed.

The objective therefore of the present invention is to provide apparatuswhich is capable of projecting a stiffly flexible elongated memberthrough a conduit, tube or the like which requires a minimum of space infront of the conduit, tube or the like being worked upon, but which isrelatively simple in construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention provides apparatus for storing andselectably projecting a flexible lance therefrom, said apparatuscomprising a storage means for storing said lance in a plurality ofwound coils thereon with a distal end of said lance being adapted toproject from said apparatus, drive means enabling rotation of saidstorage means about a rotation axis to extend said distal end from saidstorage means or to retract said distal end towards said storage means,said apparatus being characterised in that during rotation of saidstorage means, the point of exit or return of said lance from or to saidapparatus moves in an axial direction.

Conveniently, guide means may be provided through which the lance passesduring projection from or withdrawal onto said storage means, said guidemeans being arranged to move axially. Preferably movement control meansmay be provided to positively move the guide means in direct response torotational movement of said storage means to maintain substantialalignment with said lance as the lance leaves or returns onto saidstorage means. Preferably the guide means may be mounted to theapparatus in a manner restraining same to only move in a directionparallel to said rotation axis, said storage means including anoutwardly open helical groove adapted to house said lance when saidlance is stored on said storage means, said guide means including a partadapted for location in said groove whereby upon said storage meansbeing rotated said guide means is thereby moved axially.

It has been discovered that an operator can guide a flexible lance orsimilar elongated element to the conduit to be cleaned or worked uponand it is not therefore absolutely necessary for the lance or othersimilar flexible elongated element to exit from its storage deviceconstantly at one point, in line with the tube or conduit through whichit is to pass. More particularly by permitting the lance and its saidguide means to move axially, the apparatus may be made relativelycompact and positioned in limited head space to enable most tube arraysto be worked on in situ. Further, by providing an arrangement where atleast three and preferably at least five wound coils of lance areprovided on the storage drum, there is achieved an adequate extensionlength for a wide variety of applications. Finally, the aforesaidarrangements make it possible to produce a lighter, simpler device forprojecting a flexible lance or the like, which may, if desired beportably constructed. In such a structure, the apparatus would includetransport means such as wheels and a housing to accommodate valves andthe like necessary for control of the apparatus.

Throughout this specification including the accompanying claims, theterm "lance", unless some contrary meaning appears from the context ofusage, is intended to mean a stiffly flexible elongated member of anyconfiguration (solid or hollow) adapted to pass through any tube,conduit or the like.

In a further preferred aspect, the present invention provides apparatusfor storing and selectably projecting a flexible lance therefrom, saidapparatus comprising a storage means for storing said lance in aplurality of wound coils thereon with a distal end of said lance beingadapted to project from said apparatus, drive means enabling rotation ofsaid storage means about a rotation axis to extend said distal end fromthe storage means or to retract said distal end towards said storagemeans, said apparatus being characterised in that axially extendingrestraining means are disposed around said storage means to retain saidplurality of wound coils on said storage means, said restraining meanscomprising at least two sections with one of said sections beingselectably movable from a first position engaging said wound coils onthe storage means to a second position substantially spaced from saidstorage means. This enables the storage means to be removed from theapparatus for servicing or any other purpose.

In a still further preferred aspect, the present invention providesapparatus for storing and selectably projecting a flexible lancetherefrom, said apparatus comprising a storage means for storing saidlance in a plurality of wound coils thereon with a distal end of saidlance being adapted to project from said apparatus, drive means enablingrotation of said storage means about a rotation axis to extend saiddistal end from the storage means or to retract said distal end towardssaid storage means, said apparatus being characterised in that saidapparatus further includes a guide means through which said lance passesas it leaves said storage means, said guide means including at least onezone adapted to flex whereby the distal end of said lance can bedirected to a plurality of different positions.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, thestorage means is formed as a drum and is provided with a spiral grooveformed on its outer surface. The groove preferably has sufficient depthto just accommodate the lance, umbilical cable or the like. The drum isconveniently rotatably supported within a cage of axially disposedrollers which act to imprison said lance, umbilical cable or the likewithin said groove formed in said drum. That part of the drumincorporating said groove may be made of a suitable stiff elastomericmaterial and the width of said groove is made such that said lance,umbilical cable or the like is frictionally captured within said groovewhen it is rolled into said groove by the action of one or more of saidrollers and is thus restrained from circumferential movement relative tosaid drum. Drive means are connected to said drum to enable it to bedriven in a rotational sense and control means are conveniently providedto allow precise control of the rotational movement of said drum. Theroller cage may be made in two pans, each of which, in the preferredembodiment, encloses more or less half of the circumference of said drumand each of said parts is openable to allow removal or replacement ofsaid drum from said apparatus. A terminal block may be provided slidablysupported on one or more axially disposed rails fixed to the structureof said apparatus outside of said roller cage and upon which issupported the proximal end of the guide tube. Said lance, umbilicalcable or the like may be led from said drum out through a bore in saidterminal block and thence to said guide tube. Said terminal block may beprovided with a tongue projecting radially inwards to engage said groovein said drum such that rotation of said drum causes said terminal blockto be axially displaced along said rails and thus maintained inalignment with the point at which said lance, umbilical cable or thelike exits from or re-enters said groove in said drum. Said roller cagesupporting said drum and said drum drive means are supported in astructure incorporating wheels for ease of movement and provided with ahousing to accommodate valves and the like necessary for operation ofthe unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of the present invention and its aspects will be more readilyunderstood by reference to the following brief description of apreferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of apparatus in which certain pans of the drum andits support and drive means have been sectioned; and

FIG. 2 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 from the non driven end ofthe drum showing one half of the roller cage opened and with certainparts sectioned.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, drum 1 is provided with a jacket 2 ofsome suitable hard elastomeric material in which spiral groove 3 isformed. The depth of said spiral groove is such that a cleaning lance,survey unit umbilical cable or the like (not shown) is more or lesscompletely accommodated within said groove. The width of said groove ismade such that said lance, umbilical cable or the like is frictionallycaptured within said groove when it is rolled into said groove by theaction of one or more of said rollers and is thus restrained fromcircumferential movement relative to said drum. Said drum is providedwith circular internal web 4, at the centre of which is situated boss 5,said boss being pierced with a bore shaped to engage splines or othercomplementary shapes on the end 6 of drive shaft 7. Said drum is securedto the end of said shaft with nut 19. Said drive shaft is rotationallysupported in self aligning bearing 9 (depicted symbolically) which isfixed to support plate 10. Said drive shaft may extend out through saidself aligning bearing and be driven in a rotational sense by suitableexternally positioned drive means or, as in the preferred embodiment,may terminate at said bearing and be driven by an internally houseddrive means (not shown) driving a sprocket wheel or pulley 8 on shaft 7through suitable chains or belts (not shown). Control means (not shown)are provided to allow precise control of rotational movement of saiddrum.

Said drum is enclosed by a plurality of axially disposed rollers 11arranged to form a cylindrical cage, the two ends of said rollers beingrotationally supported in roller support members 12 and 13. Said rollersupport members are pivotally supported respectively in brackets 14 and15 attached to frame 20 and are adapted to be opened so as to allowremoval of drum 1 from the apparatus. Abutting unsupported ends of saidroller support members are provided with adjustable connection means(not shown) to permit said unsupported ends to be positively clamped oneto another such that said roller cage is urged into its closed positionin which said rollers apply pressure to maintain said lance, umbilicalcable or the like in groove 3 formed in jacket 2 of drum 1. The pressureapplied by said rollers upon said lance, umbilical cable or the like isregulated by adjustment of said connection means.

Attached to internal web 4 of said drum is diametrally disposed bracket16 to which, on the axis of shaft 7, is fixed entry fitting 17. To theouter end of said entry fitting (shown cut away) through suitable swiveljoint means (not shown) is connected, as appropriate, high pressurewater hosing, electrical cabling or the like and said lance, umbilicalcable or the like is brought through a suitable opening (not shown) insaid drum and connected to inner end 18 of-said entry fitting.

Slidably supported on one or more axially disposed rails 24 fixed to thestructure of said apparatus outside of said roller cage is a guidemember in the form of a terminal block 25 upon which is supported theproximal end of a tangentially arranged guide tube 28. Said lance,umbilical cable or the like is led from said drum out through a bore 27(indicated in broken line in FIG. 2) in the guide member or terminalblock 25 and thence to said guide tube 28. The guide tube 28 may be madeof a flexible material or may include one or more flexible zones orjoints so that an operator can direct a free end of the tube 28 to theadjacent end of any tube in an array of such tubes to be worked upon.Alternatively mechanical positioning means might be used to position thedistal end of the guide tube 28 as desired. The guide member or block 25is provided with a tongue 26 projecting radially inwardly to engage thegroove in the drum such that rotation of the drum causes the terminalblock to be axially displaced along said rails and thus maintained inalignment with the point at which said lance, umbilical cable or thelike exits from or re-enters said groove in said drum. The peripheralspacing of rollers 11 is increased at the point at which said terminalblock extends between them.

Frame 20 is provided at its end adjacent to said drum drive means withaxle 21, to the ends of which are rotationally fixed wheels 22 to allowease of movement of said apparatus. Said frame is provided at its endadjacent to entry fitting 17 with one or more short legs 29 to maintainthe axis of said drum in a more or less horizontal attitude. Frame 20 isextended vertically above said axle to form handle members 30. Supportplate 10 is attached to frame 20 at its lower edge and the outer edgesof returns 31 on each of its sides are fixed to said handle members. Thespace between the outer surface of said support plate and the innersurfaces of its said returns provides accommodation for valves and thelike by means of which said apparatus is controlled, said accommodationbeing closed by a sheet of suitable material (not shown) being fixedover it between handle members 30. The two halves of said roller cage ofsaid apparatus are enclosed by covers (not shown) of some suitable sheetmaterial passing around them and fastened to the peripheral edges ofroller support members 12 and 13.

In operation, with said lance, umbilical cable or the like fully woundin said groove on said drum, controls are operated to motivate saiddrive means and rotationally drive said drum. Said lance, umbilicalcable or the like is extended out through bore 27 in said terminal blackand through guide tube 28 to a tube or conduit to be cleaned orsurveyed. High pressure water or electrical current is connected to saidlance, umbilical cable or the like through suitable swivel joint meansattached to entry fitting 17. Suitable means are proved to registerrotational movement of said drum and provide feedback to control meansto automatically regulate speed and length of extension of said lance,umbilical cable or the like. Retraction of said lance, umbilical cableor the like is the reverse of the foregoing.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for storing and selectively projecting a flexible lance therefrom, said apparatus comprising a drum storage means for storing said lance in a plurality of wound coils thereon with a distal end of said lance being adapted to project from said apparatus, drive means enabling rotation of said drum storage means about a rotation axis to extend said distal end from said drum storage means or to retract said distal end towards said drum storage means, said apparatus being characterized by restraining means located circumferentially around said drum storage means to engage and maintain said lance in position on said drum storage means when withdrawn thereon, said apparatus being further characterized by guide means having a proximal end adjacent said drum storage means and a distal end spaced from said proximal end, said guide means defining a path from said proximal end to said distal end through which said flexible lance passes during extension from or withdrawal onto said storage means, said guide means being mounted for bodily movement in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of said storage means in response to rotation of said storage means whereby said path at said proximal end of the guide means remains coincident with the direction of said flexible lance as it is extended from or as it is withdrawn onto said drum storage means, and said drum storage means further including a circumferential region formed from an elastomeric material with a spirally formed groove in an outer peripheral surface thereof, said groove having a width such that said lance is positionable in said groove with an interference fit.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein guide rail means is provided to maintain said path at said proximal end of the guide means coincident with the direction of said flexible lance as it is extended from or as it is withdrawn onto said drum storage means as said guide means is bodily moved.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said guide rail means comprises a pair of guide rails cooperable with said guide means, said guide rails being spaced from one another and arranged parallel to the rotation axis of said drum storage means.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said guide means cooperates with said groove to move said guide means in the direction parallel to the rotation axis of said drum storage means.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said restraining means comprises a plurality of axially extending rollers circumferentially spaced about said drum storage means and adapted to engage said lance when said lance is positioned on said drum storage means at least one of said rollers being located adjacent the proximal end of said guide means to roll said lance into said groove.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said restraining means comprises at least two sections with one of said sections being selectably movable from a first position engaging said wound coils on the storage means to a second position substantially spaced from said storage means to give access to said storage means.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said restraining means comprises a plurality of rollers extending over an axial length sufficient to engage all the wound coils when said lance is fully withdrawn onto said drum storage means, said rollers forming a restraining cage surrounding said storage means when said sections are located in the first position.
 8. Apparatus for storing and selectively projecting a flexible lance therefrom, said apparatus comprising a drum storage means having at least a circumferential region formed from an elastomeric material with a spiral groove formed therein whereby said flexible lance is stored in said groove with an interference fit between said groove and said lance with a distal end of said lance being adapted to project from said apparatus, drive means enabling rotation of said storage means about a rotation axis to extend said distal end from said storage means or to retract said distal end towards said drum storage means, said apparatus further including restraining means located circumferentially around said storage means to engage and maintain said flexible lance within said spiral groove when withdrawn onto said drum storage means, and guide means through which said lance passes during extension from or withdrawal onto said drum storage means, said guide means being mounted for movement in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of said storage means in response to rotation of said storage means. 